WASHINGTON (AP) Patrik Laine knows where he stands.

WASHINGTON (AP) Patrik Laine knows where he stands.The Winnipeg Jets winger might not keep track of each time Alex Ovechkin or Evgeni Malkin scores Youth Mikko Koivu Jersey , but he knows how many goals they have.”I just sometimes look at the scoreboard and the score sheets,” Laine said. ”I always pretty much know where’s everyone at.”Laine and Ovechkin went into their showdown Monday night tied at 40 goals. Ovechkin scored twice and Laine once to keep the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy and pursuit of 50 goals red hot in the NHL’s stretch run.At 19 years old, Laine is a real threat to win his first goal-scoring title, while Ovechkin at 32 is seeking his eighth 50-goal season and seventh Rocket Richard.”Most great goal-scorers, when they’re in their early 20s is when they’re putting up all their big numbers,” Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said. ”It’s very, very unique and unusual for a player of Alex’s vintage to be staring 50 goals in the face.”The goals race comes down to Ovechkin and Malkin – the Nos. 1 and 2 picks from 2004 – and Laine, the second selection in 2016 who has shown he deserves to be in the conversation for the best goal-scorer in hockey today.”He’s got a gift for scoring goals,” Jets defenseman Ben Chiarot said. ”It’s even more profound that you look for him in the offensive zone because if he gets the puck – it’s crazy to say – it’s like a 60, 70 percent chance he’s going to put it in the back of the net. I’ve never played with anyone like that – that dangerous, that lethal.”Winnipeg teammates aren’t shy to say Laine’s abilities are ”Ovechkin-like” because Laine is scoring as a teenager the way only the Washington Capitals superstar, Steven Stamkos, Auston Matthews and Ilya Kovalchuk have over the past two decades. Ovechkin is no doubt the greatest goal-scorer of this generation and on Monday became the fourth-fastest player in league history to 600.Capitals coach Barry Trotz thinks 50 is a more important milestone for his Russian winger given his recent trajectory.”The 600 will be something he’ll have forever, but I think he’ll put a lot of pride if he can get 50 this year,” Trotz said. ”I think the way he looks at it, it’s so hard to do and he had a down year (last season). He wants to show that he can still do it.”Ovechkin soaked up 600 quickly and is now eight away from 50 with 13 games to go.”It would be pretty amazing and pretty unbelievable,” Ovechkin said. ”I still have time http://www.minnesotawildteamshops.com/authentic-ryan-suter-jersey , and (with) a little bit of luck, a little bit of help from upstairs, I don’t know, we’ll see.”Like Ovechkin, Laine said scoring down the stretch is important for team goals and he has certainly helped the Jets. Laine has scored 16 goals in his past 12 gamesThe most prolific young Finn since Teemu Selanne said winning the Rocket Richard Trophy has always been a dream, and now 50 is in reach as he clicks with linemates Nikolai Ehlers and Paul Stastny.”You never know what’s going to happen,” Laine said. ”Ten games ago, I was at 25 and nobody was talking about even 40. There’s a lot of things that could happen. If we’re playing like this with Niky and Paul, why not?”Ovechkin already has nine more goals than he put up all last season. Only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Marcel Dionne have scored 40 goals in a season more times than Ovechkin.”I don’t think people understand how hard that is to do,” Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri said. ”He makes it seem so effortless. He’s got a very special shot.”Jets center Andrew Copp wondered if Laine’s shot is even more special than Ovechkin’s. Copp hasn’t seen Laine score from the center red line yet but joked, ”I’m sure that day will come.””Ovi’s got a big, winding up wrister and it comes off just kind of so crazy whereas Patty, it’s almost like he’s throwing darts at the net,” Chiarot said. ”It’s just a little flick of the wrist and it’s kind of where he wants it. … I think it’s the most dangerous shot in the league.”Jets coach Paul Maurice senses the confidence oozing from Laine just from watching him at practice. He can see an entirely different player from a month ago.”If you’re getting close to 50, you’re feeling good about your game,” Maurice said. ”Any of these guys Brandon Manning Jersey Womens , confidence is a critical piece. That puck is off Patty’s stick where he wants it right now every time. So he’s feeling it, he’s feeling good.”Malkin, who has 39 goals, right now might be the most dangerous player in the league. The Pittsburgh Penguins center is right there with Ovechkin, New Jersey Devils winger Taylor Hall, Stamkos and Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Nikita Kucherov and Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon in a crowded MVP race.Playing on the same team as Sidney Crosby could leave Malkin underappreciated at times, but he’s playing some of the best hockey of his career.”I have confidence right now,” Malkin said recently. ”It’s like every shot goes in. It’s funny sometimes. I’m trying to do my best.”— TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning return home Tuesday from a five-game road trip to host a playoff rematch against the New Jersey Devils.But Tampa Bay faces the Devils without Norris Trophy winning defenseman Victor Hedman and Selke-caliber forward Ondrej Palat. Both players were injured on the recent road trip and expected to miss at least the next two games.Hedman suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury in the second period against Vegas on Friday when he was hit by Ryan Reaves and fell awkwardly in to the boards, appearing to injury his shoulder/back area. Palat was also injured against the Golden Knights midway through the third period when he blocked a shot off his foot.Article continues below ...Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said on Monday that Hedman, who was schedule to be evaluated at the end of the week, could now miss more time than originally thought while the team is waiting on further testing to determine Palat’s absence while listing him as day-to-day.“Victor will be re-evaluated here, but we are not expecting him back right away,” Cooper said. “And Palat we are waiting for some more information.”Both players have been ruled out for through the end of the week while a pair of weekend road games at Montreal and Ottawa look “doubtful” at this point, according to the Lightning coach.“Anytime you miss one game, I think that’s a lot of time,” Cooper said. “But the games will add up here Womens Zach Parise Jersey , especially we’re playing every second night now and games are back-to-backs, when you miss a week or two that means you are missing six or seven games, which is tough. But both guys are healing and hopefully they’ll be back soon.”While the Lightning are dealing with injuries, the Devils are getting healthier.Goaltender Corey Schneider, who has been out since the start of the season, has returned from a three-game conditioning assignment in the American Hockey League and will join the team to start the seven-game road trip that will keep the Devils away from Prudential Center through Nov. 11. New Jersey head coach John Hynes said Schneider will make an appearance at some point on the trip. Eddie Lack, who had been serving as the backup to Keith Kinkaid, was sent to Binghamton on Monday for a conditioning assignment.“He’s going to play, but right now what I think is important is that we take it day-by-day with the goalies,” Hynes told the Bergen County Record. “Keith is going to go [against the Lightning] and then we’ve got Wednesday into Thursday to see where he is. But we do have a back-to-back coming up and we’ve got a lot of games coming up.”In addition to Schneider, injured defenseman Ben Lovejoy was back at practice for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Oct. 28 while forward Drew Stafford practiced with the team for the first time since Oct. 20 when he suffered an upper-body injury against Philadelphia on Oct. 20.While Stafford will remain behind to start the trip, he is expected to join the team at some point. Lovejoy, along with forward Jesper Bratt – who has been out with a broken jaw – will also travel as he awaits clearance to return to full contact.